Imagine your teacher says, “we are going on a walk to a park,” in the middle of class. Or that you are going camping with your friends. This may sound out of the ordinary for some, these scenarios are guaranteed in the Hudson High School H2BE class.
This H2BE class is unique to Hudson. It combines two honors classes: biology and English. This class does require an application to get in, as it is a selective program. Almost all students who take it have something positive to say about it.
The teachers are Mrs. Stiffler for honors English and Mrs. Conroy for honors biology. They have both been immersed in nature from a very young age and have grown to love it. This will be their seventh year teaching the class. Stiffler shares that this idea actually came about when she was on a trail with Conroy.
At the beginning of the year, students start with one overnight hike in the fall. This is a great way to ease into the longer week-long trip that students take in the spring, where they get to choose a friend or two to share a tent or shelter with. Many students get stressed about missing the week of school, which is why Conroy and Stiffler go over pre-scheduling and organization ahead of time to get students prepared.
Students learn how to plan, have self efficacy and be out in nature. They can also unplug from their phones and enjoy the beauty of nature or just talk to friends.
If you are interested in this class but don’t have a lot of hiking experience, it is no problem. Students start out slow with hikes and walks that are short and then gradually work their way up into 7-8 mile hikes. Conroy shares that the best way to start up hiking is to go slow. Also make sure you drink lots of water and be sure to take snacks with you.
While students may feel stressed about the schoolwork, the stress soon dissipates when they are out in the woods hiking and camping with their friends.
Elisabeth Benore, a student and peer collab of two years states, “I loved the spring hiking trip because it made everyone bond a bit more.”
Stiffler shares that her favorite part of the class is, “Seeing the lifelong friendships that students make.” As for the stress that students might experience when making up schoolwork from the days students missed, Benore says, “It really wasn’t that bad. Mrs. Stiffler and Mrs. Conroy did a great job of having several built in days after the trip of time just for getting homework done that we might have missed.”
The only downside to this class is that it is only available to eligible incoming freshmen. Conroy and Stiffler made this class accessible to freshmen (even though it was originally going to be more advanced) because upperclassmen already have a lot of options but freshmen do not.
This is a great class that is unique to Hudson High School and, whether you are an avid hiker or just enjoy nature, it is an option worth looking into.
